


Advantage

by Nerdqueen395



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Violence, better characters, better plot, longer chapters, same idea though, some blood, this is a revamp of the previous Advantage fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 18:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13595928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdqueen395/pseuds/Nerdqueen395
Summary: When Ladybug injures herself in a battle, Chat Noir follows her to make sure she's ok, and accidentally finds out Ladybugs biggest secret.She is Marinette.Adrien doesn't know what to do with this information, until Plagg convinces him to use this to his advantage.Adrien attempts to woe his Lady all over again, only this time, as Adrien and Marinette.Naturally, chaos ensues.What has he gotten himself into?





	Advantage

**Author's Note:**

> This is a revamp of a previous work. It will update roughly once a week!

Chapter One: The Ugly Truth

  Adrien sat at his computer, staring at the screen. Upon it, was a small collection of images of Ladybug, that Adrien had scoured the internet for. Some were from news articles, featuring Ladybug, soaring across the sky, and came with headlines stating, **_Ladybug saves Paris once again in a devastating Akuma attack_** , other images came from the Ladyblog. These images mainly featured group shots of Ladybug and Chat Noir, or Ladybug, smiling and waving to her adoring fans.

  Adrien had compiled these images in a small portfolio titled, **My Lady**. Adrien zoomed in to one image in which Ladybug had a small girl on her lap, both were smiling and giggling. He scoured the image for any small detail that might help him learn who Ladybug was. But to no avail. Adrien sighed and leaned back in his chair. He spun around in it, thinking. “Plagg?” Adrien asked.

  The small black kwami flew over, a piece of camembert in his paws. “Yes, Adrien?” Plagg noticed the portfolio and groaned before stuffing the cheese in his mouth, “Ith thif wabbow wabbybub abain?” He said with his mouthful.

  “Ugh, Plagg? Please chew with your mouth closed, it's disgusting. And yes. It is about Ladybug.” Adrien sighed again, “I know Ladybug wants us to keep our identities a secret, but...I can't take it anymore.” He growled and spun his chair again. “Are you sure you can't tell me even one small clue as to who she is?”

  
  Plagg shook his head, “Tikki would kill me. Besides, didn't Ladybug friend zone you? How about you focus your attention on someone else?”

  “Like who!” Adrien cried, exasperated, “Chloe? I don't like her like that! The only girl I've found so far that has won my heart is Ladybug, I can't just focus on other girls all of a sudden Plagg, it doesn't work that way.”

  Plagg rolled his eyes, “You're so dramatic Adrien, what about that Marinette girl? You were pretty friendly with her the other day.”

  “She's just a friend Plagg, besides, why would I switch my attention from someone who doesn't see me that way, to someone else, who doesn't see me that way? I'd just be screwing myself over.”

  
  Plagg rolled his eyes again, “Fine Adrien, wallow in misery.” He floated towards the window and looked outside. His eyes widened and he flew back over to Adrien, “Change in plans, wallow later, transform now.”

  
  Adrien sat up, alert, “Akuma?”

  Plagg nodded, “And it looks like Ladybug is in trouble, this is a bad one.”

  Adrien stood up, “Plagg? Transform me!” Adrien felt the rush of adrenaline he always got when he transformed. His clothes vanished, replaced by almost impenetrable black leather. His eyesight and hearing increased, picking up every small detail as his mask soon followed. He was no longer Adrien, he was Chat Noir. A superhero. A man who was free to be himself. Chat Noir didn't have to worry about school, impressions, or fashion shows, Chat Noir didn't have to sit idly by, restrained by the very life he was living. Chat Noir was free.

  Chat twirled his baton and smirked. “I'm coming Bugaboo,” he said to no one but himself. He leapt out his window and into the Paris skyline. Plagg had been right, this Akuma was a bad one. Chat could see a large beast, that reminded him of a chimera from Greek mythology. A lions head and body, a snake tail, and a roaring goats head placed gruesomely next to the lions. Chat saw Ladybug, weaving and dodging the random burst of fire and venom that shot towards her.

  He ran as fast as he could, launching himself across buildings and above screaming crowds of civilians, trampling each other as they sought refuge. Finally, Chat arrived at the scene, “Ladybug!” He shouted, “Need help?”

  “Yes!” Ladybug called back, dodging the snake head, “Where,” she ducked, “Were,” fireball, “You?”

  Chat swiped his baton at the lions head, “Busy, any idea where the Akuma is?”

  Ladybug nodded and brushed a sweaty strand of inky black hair behind her ear, gosh, she was even gorgeous during a fight, “I think it's that small hairpin stuck to the lions mane, do you see it?”

  Chat squinted and saw a small flash of pink, tied to the thick mane. “Yup, what's the plan?”

  Ladybug raised her yo-yo in the air and shouted, “Lucky Charm!” A small red and black box of baking soda popped into existence and landed in her hand. She cast her gaze all around. She then pointed at a small toy store on the corner, “Keep him distracted for a minute!”

  Chat saluted her, “Aye aye, Cap’n!” He continued dodging attacks and smacking his baton uselessly against the three heads, all of which roared, or hissed, or bleated their annoyance. The snake reared its head and struck, missing Chat by only a few centimeters, “Almost done there Bugaboo?” Chat shouted, he was getting nervous, “This hairball is getting a bit out of hand!”

  Ladybug came rushing back outside with a large squirt gun, “Done! Chat, knock that post over, now!”

  “Cataclysm!” Chat yelled, his hand tingled with power and he raked it across the post. The metal corroded and toppled over, trapping the chimera under. Ladybug began promptly spraying the beast with some form of watered down slime. As soon as it hit the chimera, it created a sticky mess of glittery red gum. The heads thrashed and roared, only succeeding in getting themselves more tangled up in the gooey mess.

  Ladybug strutted over triumphantly and yanked the bright pink hair piece, covered, ironically, in tiny butterflies, and smashed it beneath her feet. From the shattered pieces, a dark purple butterfly flew out and tried to escape. Ladybug quickly captured it in her yo-yo, and cleansed it. As the now-white butterfly flew off, Ladybug tossed the empty baking soda box into the air, crying “Miraculous Ladybug!”. Chat watched in awe as a million tiny ladybugs exploded in the air, and rushed across Paris, putting every broken thing back in its place.

  Chat Noir ran towards the Akumatized victim, and found a small girl in a bright pink jumper, sobbing. “I want my mommy!” She whined.

  Ladybug walked over and handed her the healed hairpiece, she placed a reassuring hand on the girls head and rubbed it. “Don't worry, we’ll find your mama, what's your name?”

  The girl sniffed, “Lillian.” She said.

  Chat smiled, “Well, Lillian, you've had quite the adventure today, huh?”

  Lillian nodded, “I wanna go home now.”

  Before either Ladybug or Chat could respond, a tall woman came running over. “Lilly!” She cried, “Lilly! Oh my baby girl!” She hugged Lillian, behind her, a small boy hung back, looking ashamed.

  “I'm sorry I said you looked like the monsters in my book,” he mumbled, “I only meant it as a joke.”

  Chat knelt down by the boy, “Joke or not, words can really hurt a person, I'm glad you've apologized, but keep what you've learned today in mind. Don't make fun of anyone else, got it?”

  The boy nodded sheepishly, and the mother, holding both children's hands in a vice-like grip, fervently thanked them.

  “It wasn't any trouble ma’am,” Ladybug said, “We were just doing our jobs.”

  “But I feel so bad!” The woman cried, “You even got hurt helping me!”

  “What?!” Chat spun his head to look at Ladybug, finally noticing a dark, bloody mess on her knee. “When did that happen?”

  Ladybug waved away their concerns, “It happens when you're fighting Akumas, it's nothing I can't handle, so don't worry.” Her earrings beeped, “Chat and I have to go ma’am, but we're glad to have helped out.” She nodded at Chat, “See you later kitten.” Chat watched her as she ran off, only now noticing that she had a bad limp.

  “Oh dear,” the woman said, “I do hope she gets home alright.”

  Feelings of guilt and worry overwhelmed Chat, and he raced after Ladybug to make sure she was really ok. She ran into an ally, and Chat followed, “Ladybug!” He shouted, his ring beeped and Chat swore, he quickly hid behind a corner as he de-transformed. Plagg floated exhaustedly onto Adriens shoulder. He stuffed him into his shirt pocket and checked around the corner to see where Ladybug had gone. Much to his shock, he saw a burst of pink light. Ladybug had de-transformed. And in her place, Adrien saw the last person he expected to see.

  “Marinette?” He whispered. It couldn't be! He saw her look around, and quickly hid himself again as Marinette, _Marinette_ , ran out of the ally.

  He watched as she limped off towards the bakery where she lived. As soon as she was out of view, Adrien slumped to the ground and placed his head in his hands.

  He felt cold and distant. How stupid was he? Of course Marinette was Ladybug! It all made sense now! How she vanished at the same time he did, how she constantly fell asleep in class, as if she had spent all night patrolling the city for Akumas.

  He could also see the same intensity that Ladybug had inside Marinette, her kindness, charity, bravery, and beauty never changed, costume or not. How had he not realized this before! She sat right behind him every day, and he had never noticed. “Plagg,” Adrien whispered hoarsely, “What do I do now?”

  “Get me some cheese.”

  “Seriously Plagg!” Adrien shouted, “Tell me what I do now!”

  
  Plagg was silent for a moment before flying out of Adrien's shirt and staring him straight in the face. “Tell her.”

  “I can't do that! She'll kill me!”

  
  Plagg sighed, before getting a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Then use this to your advantage.”


End file.
